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educationeducation Improving Scottish Curriculum for Excellence top will build on the best of the 4 aspects of the curriculum 3. coherent 3-18 programme National Debate 1. no one single Curriculum for Excellence

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educationeducation Improving Scottish IMPROVING SCOTTISH EDUCATION “Many young people are not making the progress they should from the middle stages of primary until well into their secondary education. Difficulties with literacy and numeracy and an apparent reluctance or inability to engage with demanding areas of learning such as mathematics, science and modern languages can become entrenched at these stages.”

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Challenge and enjoyment Effective challenge includes teachers setting tasks and activities which : are of increasing levels of complexity or abstraction; continually develop, reinforce and extend understanding; rely on learners making connections to, and building on, their prior mathematical learning;

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Challenge and enjoyment As part of learning teachers need to promote positive attitudes to mathematics and an understanding of how it equips young people with many of the skills required for life, learning and work.

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Challenge and Enjoyment Are young people challenged through increasingly complex mathematical questions and problems? Are young people actively involved in learning mathematics, or do they spend long periods completing routine exercises from textbooks which do not challenge their thinking?

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Breadth and Depth Is there time and space within the curriculum for young people to experience breadth of learning? Are there opportunities to explore concepts in depth, to develop and refine understanding and explore learning through a variety of tasks and activities?

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Coherence Do teachers use their mathematical knowledge to ensure that concepts, skills and understanding are developed in a coherent and logical way? Is learning connected to important mathematical concepts prior to and beyond the level currently being taught?

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Relevance Do young people understand the purpose of their learning? Do they see real life contexts where they would apply their learning? Do young people learn to apply their practice problems and exercises in mathematics to develop skills, make connections, reflect and explain their reasoning?

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educationeducation Improving Scottish 4 Aspects of the Curriculum Ethos and life of the school as a community Curriculum areas and subjects Interdisciplinary projects and studies Opportunities for personal development

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Interdisciplinary Can take the form of individual one-off projects or longer courses of study Is planned around clear purposes Is based upon E’s & O’s drawn from different curriculum areas or subjects within them Ensures progression in skills and in knowledge and understanding Can provide opportunities for mixed stage learning which is interest based.

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educationeducation Improving Scottish successful learners Are motivated and enthusiastic about learning mathematics because they understand why the topic is being taught. Think flexibly about how to apply their skills and enjoy having to puzzle out an answer Use technology effectively to save time in routine calculation and demonstrate understanding by sketching graphs. Understand how their mathematical knowledge can be used and apply appropriate strategies to solve problems in a range of contexts and across learning. confident individuals Use a range of mathematical and numeracy skills across learning and everyday life. Are independent, mathematical thinkers who can discuss and explain their reasoning. Use their mathematical and numeracy skills to provide evidence for informed decisions. Collaborate effectively to solve problems. responsible citizens Interpret numerical information to draw conclusions based on fact and not on opinion or prejudice. Interpret tables and graphs to assess trends and can use their conclusions to take and justify decisions. Evaluate data to gain an accurate view of a situation and make informed choices. Recognize the importance and role of mathematics within society. effective contributors Have an enterprising, ‘can do’ attitude. Work productively in teams to solve problems and reach decisions. Are motivated and enjoy being challenged. Apply critical thinking skills in different contexts. Are not afraid to take risks and can solve problems. To enable all young people to become four capacitiesskills and attributes

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Listening to learners Does listening to young people result in change? Do teacher’s change their thinking in light of what learners say? Listening involves: openness to information, verbal and otherwise, from learners; consideration of possible interpretation of this information and action based on this information.

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Questioning? Shifting from Do you understand ? to What do you understand about…? signals a change from learners telling you about something you know to your listening to what they know.

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Where the learner is going Where the learner isHow to get there Teacher Engineering effective discussions, tasks and activities that elicit evidence of learning Providing feedback that moves learners forward Peer Clarify, understand and share learning intentions Activating students as learning resources for one another Learner Activating students as owners of their own learning Assessment is for Learning

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Well-paced lessons Well established routines and systems (e.g. time targets, sharing of successful learning approaches, clearly specified learners’ roles in collaborative and group work, effective use of resources and homework, and a lesson structure including starter activities and round-up). Have clear direction of travel and shared purpose. Ensure that a high proportion of time is spent on active learning tasks with minimum interruptions of any sort. Have a level of personalisation to match the range of needs in the class. High levels of learner stimulation and engagement in thinking.

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Active learning Young people are active in their learning when they: think deeply about mathematical ideas and concepts and construct their own understanding about them; and use their existing skills and knowledge in different contexts, test out their ideas and conjectures, and solve problems.

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Inspection expectation that teachers are: reflective and self-evaluative ready to engage in professional discussion committed to continuous improvement starting with the department’s self-evaluation what are your strengths? how do you know? what improvements are you working on just now? why? how are you going about it?

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educationeducation Improving Scottish Curriculum for Excellence: what HMIE expects in 2009/2010 look below the headings of the 4 capacities think hard about the entitlements & design principles engaging with the outcomes and experiences reflect on your approaches to learning and teaching Building the Curriculum 3 - what does it mean for you?